//------------------------------//
// Act 2: Falling Far from the Tree 
// Story: Apples to Oranges 
// by Skyeheart 
//------------------------------//

Twilight huffed and wheezed as she entered the top floor, her stomach cramped and her legs on the verge of giving out.

"Whoever...said...that the stairs were...usually faster...clearly didn't take into account...buildings with...eighty stories..."

"Yeah, that's enough exercise for the rest of our lives, thank you very much," Spike concurred. Twilight looked to her backside with a bloodshot evil eye.

"You were riding me the whole time!"

"Hey, can we get back to more pressing matters, like the reason we came up here in the first place?" Spike innocently averted with a twiddle of his thumbs.

Twilight decided that given the situation, scolding Spike on trivial circumstances could wait. But she did make a mental note to secretly sign him up for a five year membership at the fitness center on the corner of Derby and 42nd afterwards.

Walking down the short narrow hallway, she made her way to the door on the far end, third to the left. The Orange Penthouse Suite. She knocked twice. "Auntie? Are you in there?"

After waiting for a minute with no reply, Twilight tried knocking again. "Auntie, I really think we need to talk, is that okay? Please, can I come in?"

Another thirty seconds passed, and then the knob slowly began to turn. Twilight was greeted by the face of Mosely Orange.

"Oh, hello. Mr. Orange. Is your wife here? I was hoping to speak with her about something."

Mosely took a half glance back, then eyed Twilight again. "Is it about the Apples?"

"Yes?" Twilight was unsure if she was poking a very sensitive subject given the current expression on Orange Sherbet's husband.

He gave a solemn nod at her hesitant response. "I thought as much. That explains why she's going through her old stuff. Come on in."

Twilight looked around the suite complex as she walked in. It was just as fancy as the rest of the hotel, that much could be said. And yet...for a luxury suite, it seemed just as cozy as it was posh. A checkered linoleum tiling complimented the orange color scheme rather than the usual red velvet carpeting. Modern style furniture and lamps decorated the living room near the balcony entrance, while abstract paintings gave the unpatterned wallpaper more texture. But closer to the kitchen, there was a large hoofcarved dining table of pine as opposed to the other furnishings of plastic and metal. A simple white cotton-wool blend covering protected the topside with a bowl of fresh oranges in the center, giving the room a faint pleasant smell of citrus. There was something about this room Twilight felt, but the word just seemed to escape her.

That was, until she glanced at a dish cabinet filled with fine china. On the middle shelf, next to the shakers, was a portrait frame containing the image of Orange Sherbet, Mosely Orange, and a small light orange filly with a forest green mane that Twilight could only assume was their daughter Tangerine, smiling together in a tight hug. She realized, then and there, that this was an extravagant hotel room, but at the same time it was not.

This was a place made for a family. A place you could call home.

All of a sudden, she began to think of her own home, her old bedroom with her favorite bookshelf, her parents, her BBBFF, and how long it had been since she had actually set hoof inside there or even spoke with them. As she left the decor of the living room behind and began to cross the short corridor with Mosely Orange to the bed chambers, she phased back into the present and buried those growing longings back in her heart. First things were first, she could dwell on her days gone by another time.

"Mr. Orange? Do you know anything about what's going on between Auntie and the Apple clan?"

Mosely didn't turn to address her, but he spoke nonetheless. "Nothing that wouldn't be better explained by Sherbet herself, if she's willing to talk." His pupil then rolled to catch hers. "And please, if you can address her as Auntie, then feel free to call me Uncle."

He then stopped in front of the bedchamber's door, and lightly tapped the frame. "Darling? One of your friends is here to see you."

"..."

"Darling, please. I really think it would be good for you if you opened up to them about...well, about your troubles. I know you'll feel better if you had more ponies to discuss it with than just me."

"..."

Twilight then piped up. "Auntie, look. If you don't want to talk about it now, that's okay. You can take as long as you want if you need to wait. But...please, at some point, when you're comfortable enough...I'd like to know why you don't want to go to your reunion."

She looked to Mosely with a sad smile, then took some steps back. "I'll be waiting, we all will."

She had turned three whole steps in the other direction when a voice from beyond the door reached her ears.

"Wait."

The unicorn turned her head expectantly to the bedroom.

"It's okay. You can come in."

Her smile grew as she walked back towards the bedroom. Mosely gave her a reassuring nod, and opened the door for her. Inside was a large covered bed aside from a walk in closet with a large dresser to the right of it. A large bay window with several baskets of orange blossoms on its sill allowed Celestia's sun to shine through and cast a long afternoon shadow from the furniture. On the leftmost corner of the room was a long dressing table, adorned with several jewel boxes, beauty kits, hair clippings and mirrors. Seated in front of it, with a forlorn look in her eyes, was Orange Sherbet, her neck and face bereft of any jewelry, and her hair completely down and free. A small chest from underneath the table was pulled out and open in front of her, and from it, she was holding some of its contents in her hooves.

As the door closed behind her, Twilight crept up to the motherly mare as softly as she could. "Auntie?"

"What's the matter Auntie? Why the long face?"

Twilight turned to Spike, who had a cheesy grin on his face. "Get it? Cause ponies are supposed to have-"

Her narrowed eyes said everything.

"Just trying to lighten the mood..." he muttered before addressing Sherbet directly. "Look Auntie, I didn't mean any of what I said back in the lobby. None of us did! We were just-"

"No, Spike. You're right." Orange Sherbet turned to address the two, her half lidded eyes never breaking away from a black and white photo in her hoof. "I'm different from the other Apples. Too different. I'm a city mare. I don't belong on a farm or in the country, not anymore."

"But...they're your family," Twilight said, the longing in the bottom of her heart from before inching a few bits up to the back of her head. "Don't you want to see them again?"

"Of course I want to see them again," Sherbet responded abruptly. "I love them so much, each and every one of them. And it's been so long since I've spoken to even one of them it makes my heart ache when I think about it. But...but I've changed so much after all this time. If I go there...and they see me, what will they think of me?" Her eyes felt upon the old photo again.

"Will they even recognize me?"

Twilight peered closer at the photo, which Sherbet willingly hoofed over to her. The background of a large orchard surrounded by a sturdy fence post could be made out. Part of a barn stuck in the distance on the edge of the picture. And below the lower rungs of the fence posts, leaning next to each other on the side of the dirt road, were two fillies. The one on the left had an oversized stetson nested on the back of her head and a ribbon tied to her tail. The filly beside her had a bonnet and had her mane tied in a pair of ribboned braids as opposed to the other one's free flowing hair.

"Who are these two in the picture?" Twilight asked.

Sherbet pointed her hoof to fillies in the picture. "The one on the left is my sister, Apple Cake. And that..." she shifted her hoof to the other, "was me, Apple Sherbet."

"That's supposed to be you?" Spike said incredulously. "I couldn't even tell!" He then realized the implications of what he said and hastily waved his claws. "Uh, I mean, you look so young! It's hard to imagine what a foal would look like once it's grown up and-and---annnnd I'm not helping am I?"

Sherbet sighed her eyes drifted sideways for a moment. "It's okay. She probably wouldn't have known I was her if she saw me today. It was...so long ago, that I was living such a simple life, happily carrying baskets with my sister, listening to stories about our ancestors from my mother, coming back from a long day at the market to be welcomed by the aroma of a hot apple pie. Back then...I never even had an inkling of what life could be outside my family's farm."

"That sounds so wonderful," Twilight murmured softly. "What happened?"

Orange Sherbet sighed with a mixed tone of bliss and sorrow. "Something scary, something exciting, something unexpected, shocking, and completely miraculous. Love happened."



"As you already know, Mosely was just a grocer when he and I first met. It was when I was old enough to make deliveries into town all on my lonesome that I bumped into him while wheeling in a cart for the store and we just clicked. My little sister had long since earned her cutie mark while I was still a blank long into my teens. Mother said not to make a big deal about it, as there were late bloomers in every family, but I still felt rather perturbed at my predicament. My sister and I did everything together, every chore, every game, every little thing. If she had gotten her cutie mark for having a place on our farm and I hadn't then...where was my place?

Mosely had a very similar problem. Not cutie marks, mind you, he had long discovered his. What he hadn't discovered though was his place in life. He had grown up knowing very little about his parents, who were often very busy here in Manehattan. As a foal, he received excellent tutelage and a healthy lifestyle, but the only time he interacted with his mother and father were on special occasions, like holidays or birthdays. So he knew they loved him, and yet it was almost as if they had nothing in common. The monotonous upbringing made him feel sequestered to the point that upon graduation of high school, he felt like he wanted to try and stake out a living outside the busy city life, away from it all. So, with a bit of an allowance, his father arranged a job in Ponyville at Sickeningly Rich's Barnyard Bargains. It was sort of an ice breaker, trying to cope with the feeling we didn't belong with our families. And together...those problems suddenly didn't feel as bothersome anymore.

It all started, perhaps a week after Mosely had been promoted to junior manager, when I was making the weekly delivery, and found him in a complete state of disarray..."

Humming to herself, Apple Sherbet unhitched herself from her wagon and stacked three boxes over her backside. Leisurely making her way through the back entrance, she called out, "Sweet Apple Acres delivery!"

The sight that greeted her though, was far from cheery. No sooner had she made her way past the delivery room, an employee wearing the store uniform and apron careened past her, nearly knocking her apples everywhere. Looking back and forth, she saw patrons scrambling aside as workers went to and fro scrubbing everything they could, shelving and reshelving every aisle, even trying to count the change in the registers. At last, she found the worker in particular she was looking for, practically juggling a stack of papers and receipts as his eyes darted from one to the other.

"Okay...so $120.99 on produce wholesale for April...5% town tax...add coupon deductibles for the kitchenware sale on the 14th...that makes total net worth-oh no! I didn't carry the three! Augh!! No matter how many times I sum it up it just won't fit!" Mosely threw the bundle into the air like a spray of confetti and slumped down muttering 'I'm doomed' over and over again.

"Mosely?" Apple Sherbet set her crates down and nestled up to her special somepony. "What's ailin' ya so dang much? Yer a'bout as jumpy as a jackrabbit on a pogo stick."

Mosely lifted his disheveled mane to meet her eyes. "I'll tell you what's wrong. Franchise is coming!"

"Turned out, the main reason Mosely got offered the manger position was because both Sickeningly and his son/senior manager Filthy were taking a two week trip to Albuckerque for an entrepreneur convention, and needed somepony to supervise the store while they were away. Now Sickeningly had been working for quite some time back then to arrange a contract with Hefty Franchise, big time endorser and investor, to bankroll his business into a chain across Equestria. As it turned out, Mosely had checked his boss' mail that day, and in it was a letter from Franchise saying that he was finally coming around to considering the proposal, and would be arriving within two days time to inspect the store and, if to his liking, organize an indenture.

As the sole proprietor on active duty, it fell entirely on Mosely to try and seal the arrangement."

"What am I going to do?" Mosely buried his head in his hooves, shaking it back and forth. "The boss pony has been trying to get his ear for years. If I blow the deal with Franchise, when Sickeningly gets back, I am literally out on the streets! Why, oh why, did I take that promotion?"

"Easy there, worry wart. Yer not gonna fudge this up, Ah've seen you negotiatin' with clients all th' time."

"But never on my own! I've always had Mr. Rich watching from beyond the shelves. I just know I'm going to mess up without somepony to catch me, I can't do this alone!"

Apple Sherbet's heart saddened to see her sweetheart in such a frazzled state, then she formed a wry grin as she pulled him out of his slouch. "Then ya won't be doin' it alone! Cause Ah'm gonna stick by yer side every step of th' way!"

Hope seemed to flicker in his eyes. "You will? B-but where do we even start?"

"We start by gettin' you a nice hot slice of cobbler to calm those nerves of ya's, and then we'll take it from the top." Sherbet gathered up the loose leaflets scattered around with a couple scuffles of her hooves, then led Mosely out the back way. "Just trust me. Nopony does business like an Apple does!"

"Getting the store into presentable condition wasn't the hard part though. Like all businessponies, the selling issue was money. By fiscal standards, in order for a business to be cost-effective enough to be built in multiple locations, it's minimum yearly revenue needed to exceed approximately a third of the establishment's value. Unfortunately, as we reviewed the receipts and ledgers later that evening in the store's office, we found that Barnyard Bargain's profit margins were just a little too thin..."

The dim light from the single hanging lamp flickered as Mosely shoved another folder aside. "Aw, rind peels. The second quarter's even worse. Nowhere in the red, but not nearly enough to put us over the top."

Sherbet brought two hot mugs of cider to the table, sitting down next to Mosely as she eyed a few bills. "What if we took into account th' rebate gains? A fourth of the total inventory is under that policy." 

"We'd still be 1528 bits short." Mosely took a small unmoved sip of the mug. "We have to face facts. This store just doesn't make enough profit to be qualified as chain material."

"No. Franchise just has ta give this place a chance! The only reason ya cain't make a huge profit is there just ain't enough customers here! Ah'll bet if you had this store in one of them bigger cities, yer sales would triple!"

"Yeah, if only Ponyville were bigger. But that's not going to be a good enough excuse for Franchise." Mosely rested his hoof over his eyes as he rested a foreleg on the desk. "Sorry Sherbet, we tried."

"Then, I had myself a bright idea."

"Hold on, that's it! Bigger! We need ta be bigger!"

Mosely looked at Sherbet, confused as a monkey with a Marabic dictionary. "But sweet cream, I told you, everypony in Ponyville already shops here. Our entire market is both monopolized and saturated. There's no one left to increase our sales."

"No one but the store itself."

"Huh?"

Sherbet pulled out a diagram of the building's parameters. She pointed at the dimensions figures with an excited smile. "Right here! We can renovate an added extension of about four by five hooves over here."

"But construction costs money, that'll put us further away from the goal."

"Not necessarily. Ah remember when ma and pa purchased a small field on the west side for a new orchard two springs ago, they got a huge tax break the following year."

Mosely pondered this fact for a moment, then his eyes lit up. "The Equestrian Revenue's land value return clause! They had more property, but their income stayed the same. Since the system distributed net assets over the amount of land they owned, they automatically went into a lower tax bracket!"

"Eggggs-actly! Take a look here at last month's rates. By adding a just another few square hoofage, the store's tax rate will fall from five to three percent."

"The extension estimates would be around $2500, but the extra two percent of our annual projected sales is $5677.43! That makes up both the difference and shortfall!! SHERBET WE DID IT!!!"

Mosely grabbed Sherbet by the waist as he reared up and swung her around laughing excitedly. "Barnyard Bargains is getting the Franchise deal! I'm saved! I'm saved!! I'm more than that, I'm going to be a millionaire! Everyone in this store is!" 

"Not the Riches, they're going to be billionaires." Sherbet smartly corrected.

And they both laughed well into the night.

"And so the day came when Hefty Franchise was to arrive in Ponyville. I went over to the store to show my support and later congratulations for Mosely, but instead found him a jumbling wreck just like two days before."

"Mosely? Mosely! What's wrong?" Apple Sherbet came rushing up to the pacing stallion.

"It's all falling apart...it's all falling apart!" He clutched her shoulders as he spun into a dizzying outburst. "I sent Cleanup to the town hall to get the extension approval, but he came back with news that the mayor has taken holiday for the weekend! The store can't get the construction permit until Monday! Without the permit, we have no tax reduction. Without the tax reduction we have no extra money. Without the extra money we have no Franchise deal. Without the Franchise deal I HAVE NO JOB!!"

A drumming of hooves could be heard as their heads peeked up to see a drawn chariot limo rolling into the town limits, approaching in their direction.

"Oh no, he's here. He's here! Once he sees the current sales figures, that's it! I'm done! Serve my head to Mr. Rich on a platter-!"

Sherbet slapped him with an open hoof. "Git it together, mah orange delight! The plan will still work. We just need ta keep him here until Monday."

"How?! He's only supposed to be here for an hour! What could possibly stall one of the busiest and important businessponies in this tiny, uneventful, humble town for two whole days?"

Apple Sherbet pulled down her bonnet and fastened her ponytails, a look of determination on her face as she watched a dark green leg step out of the opening door. "What ponies like me like do best, some good ol' fashioned Ponyville hospitality."

She trotted straight up to the aged earth pony and greeted him with a big grin. "Howdy there stranger! Welcome to Ponyville! The most pleasant little slice of life in Equestria."

The serious stallion with the large checking book cutie mark calmly dismissed her at first. "Yes, thank you. Tell me madam, is that store over there Barnyard Bargains?"

She gave a casual glance back to Mosely standing at the front, stiff as a statue. "Why, yes it is. Could you be Hefty Franchise, the stallion mah dear friend Mosely Orange is expectin'?"

"Mosely?" An eyebrow was raised. "Where is Mr. Rich? I believe I forwarded my notice to him."

"I'm afraid he is in the middle of conducting business elsewhere. But not to worry, he has left his store in capable hooves."

"Really?" The second eyebrow went up in a skeptical manner. "I didn't think Rich was one to take important matters so casually as to pass me off to an employee."

"Now, now. Mosely is the most organized and thrifty pony Ah know! He's the only one 'round these parts Mr. Rich could turn to in a crisis. Why, Ah reckon he runs th' store better than Mr. Rich himself."

"Is that so? Perhaps I shall see just what this Mosely Orange is capable of before I draw my conclusions." 

He had taken two steps closer to the store in the distance when Sherbet queried again. "You know, the ponies here really do appreciate you taking the time to come here and give the place a chance. A lot of us weren't even sure you were going ta answer Barnyard Bargains for a long time."

"Yes, well. I don't find fault in that. If it weren't for Mr. Rich's connections with me, I probably wouldn't have even known this town existed, let alone drive from my headquarters in Manehattan to do business here."

Apple Sherbet saw her opening. "Really? Manehattan? Gosh, that's pretty much halfway across Equestria! You must have been riding for hours!"

"Quite, I actually departed around 6:30 sharp."

"Well, pull my tailhairs! That long? You must be starving after all that road! Let me get you something ta eat before you keel over there." Sherbet now stood squarely in Franchise's path.

"I'm sorry, but I have an appointment to attend to-"

"Oh no worries. Mosely's a very understanding pony! Ah'll let 'im know you're with me and Ah'm sure he won't mind waitin' a little longer. No hurry, right?"

Franchise strained his neck to look around her. "Well- I..."

"Ah insist. Mah treat! I know the perfect little cafe just on the other side of town that has the best biscottis. Cain't do business on an empty stomach anyways, right?"

"Well..." Franchise's eyes slowly shifted, then he reeled in a stoic gaze, hiding any fact that he had relented. "Normally this would be my lunch hour right about now. And now that you mention it, I suppose I am rather peckish after journeying all this way. I did have a particularly light breakfast this morning. You're...sure this Mosely won't mind me postponing my evaluation for a little while?"

"Of course!" Sherbet was able to discreetly shoot her coltfriend a wink as she led the seasoned businesspony in the other direction. "And...while we're at it. Would it be alright if Ah asked a little about Manehattan? Ah've always wondered what life is like in the big apple..."

"Well, Franchise and I got to chatting at the cafe, and I took every opportunity I could to open a new topic and keep it going. His city life led to his family, and then I felt the need to share my own family too. I then opened with a funny anecdote about a mishap with my father's plow, and that got him to tell one of his own stories when he visited his sister-in-law and potted her parakeet. We talked shop about farm tools, our favorite restaurants and foods, even I lost track of time there by the time the waiter came by and presented us with dinner menus. Needless to say, Franchise was a tad shocked to suddenly realize the sun had set. I suggested then since it was so late, that perhaps it would be better to retire for the day, and even recommended a place to stay locally. Now Ponyville didn't have any deluxe hotels like this one here, but it did have the coziest inn you could imagine with the friendliest five-pony staff in history.

Next day, I was the first one up at my farm so I could run down and greet him. I managed to make just as he was finishing his complementary breakfast. When I asked about his stay, he answered delightfully that it was the most relaxing sleep he had in ages, and the service was comparable to any of his own five-star lodgings. I answered in kind that the family of that inn had a reputation of never leaving an unsatisfied patron in over eight generations. This led to that and, with a few subtle hints from me, I managed to get him piqued in all the family owned businesses in the town. And thus, I ended up spending the whole day taking him to every other shop in town, I even gave a tour of my own farm. What's more, being the small town Ponyville was, everyone was pretty much neighbors with each other. All I had to do was mention who Franchise had came to see, and the shop owners would have nothing but the best to say about Barnyard Bargains and Mosely. He was particularly impressed at Misses Short Cake's character reference at how he tipped her daughter Cup Cake's deliveries with orange taffies.

And so, another day passed without Franchise inspecting the store. Then the fated dawn of Monday finally came, and I escorted him once again to my husband's current place of work. Now, Mosely had once again sent Cleanup to the mayor's office first thing, but he had not returned yet with the letter of approval by the time we arrived. Luckily, the store was expansive enough for me to convince Franchise to have Mosely give him a walkthrough of the store first. With some helpful directions from me, I was even able to nudge a majority of customers and workers along the direction of the look-around, each one beaming and giving a cheerful greeting to them. By the time we reached the end of the dairy aisle, Mosely got a whisper in his ear from Blue Light that Cleanup had returned successful. He then finally announced to Franchise that they would be stepping into the managerial office to show him that their profits were up to standard. What happened next though, surprised us all..."

"No need," said Franchise with raised hoof and a keen smile on his face. "I've seen and heard more than enough to know what kind of investment I'm making here."

"Y-you have?" Mosely asked disbelievingly.

A pleased nod was all that was needed to convey his decision. "A strong positive review from every pony I've met here, a bustling market of healthy productivity, well kept equipment and fully stocked shelves, reasonable prices..." he gave a kind smile towards Sherbet. "...loyal customers. This store of yours is without a doubt the pinnacle of commerce!" With that said, he drew out a large contract and laid it out for Mosely to sign. "When Mr. Rich returns, be sure to tell him I am eager to get started on the unveiling of his second storefront in Coltonsburg."

Time seemed to both speed up and slow down for the couple as Mosely stamped his hoof of approval on the line at the bottom, thanked Franchise profusely, and waved him off as he boarded his chariot and departed back to his headquarters. When his foreleg was sore well into waving after the vehicle had long vanished into the horizon, he turned to address his steadfast companion, mimicking her elated smile.

"You did it," Sherbet finally managed to say at last.

"No, we did it," he answered back. "And didn't even need the lowered tax rate to convince him. You have a real knack for negotiating you know."

"Ya think?" Sherbet sheepishly looked aside. "Just being mah usual neighborly self and all. It wasn't really that special was it?"

"If I'm lying, then so's your flank."

Sherbet's eyes widened and she jerked her head back. Sure enough, there on her flank, glow fading, where a trio of orange slices, fresh and peeled, a perfect conversation snack. Turning back, her surprised deepened as her gaze fell to a little black box Mosely had pulled out.

"You know, I never did tell you why I took that promotion in the first place. I've kinda been saving up for quite awhile now and...well, the manager position paid a bit better. I first thought about saving it for a special occasion, but why wait?"

Apple Sherbet gingerly opened the box, gasping at the hairpin inside. "Is...is that real gem encrusted gold?"

"Here, let me try it on you." Delicately pulling her bonnet down, Mosely undid her braids, and curled her hair into bun where the pin held it together. He took a moment to look her over with a warm smile that she returned tenfold.

"I always did say you looked beautiful with your hair up."

"Right then and there, between my newly earned cutie mark, that wonderful first gift, and the deep soulful gaze our eyes shared, I knew...that I was going to be spending the rest of my life with that stallion. I had finally found my place."




Twilight was now wiping a happy tear from the edge of her eye as Sherbet finished. "Then a week later, the Riches finally returned, and to our surprise. Mosely's father was with them. It was then Mosely finally learned about what his parents did for a living. They were the head of the Orange Conglomerate, a multi-trillion bit trust association that had a hoof in almost every type of business worldwide. Everything from the day he left the city to the arrival of Franchise had been a long term plan years in the making to train and test him to see if he was ready to take over the company. And his father was happy to tell him that he passed. Mosely had officially inherited the entire Orange fortune, and was now the wealthiest pony next to royalty. You know what the first thing he did with all that money?" Orange Sherbet gave a small smile. "He bought me the biggest and shiniest engagement ring, and proposed on the spot. We were wed within a month. Everyone from both families came to our reception, it was the most magical day of my life. Every Apple wished me the best from cousin Adam to niece Winecrisp."

And as quick as her small smile came, it went. "That was the last time I ever saw any of them. After the honeymoon in Applewood, I moved here to begin my new happily married life. Mosely needed as much support as possible to run his family's business, and I helped every way possible. With my talent, I opened new connections, softened up clients for him, made million bit agreements and accords with nothing but a simple dinner date and pleasantries. And as my place in this city grew, I found myself becoming more and more accustomed to dressing up for social events, directing others to more menial tasks while I supervised, acquiring tastes for exotic spices and dishes my clienteles loved. I knew I was changing, but at first I thought it was a change that wouldn't matter, it was something superficial. But, as the years went by, and I became more and more engrossed in my business with my husband, I continued to lose contact with my relatives. I had written to them all in my free time in the past, telling them of my life in Manehattan and they would write me back with news of their own farms. But the letters started coming fewer and fewer in number. I wanted to see them, I longed for their interaction, but there was never enough time to leave the city. I tried inviting them here, so they could catch up with me here, maybe even let me show them my world.

...But no one ever even responded."

She paused to give a long sigh. "One day, I heard from a news article that my cousin Redwell's farm in Whinnychester had filed for bankruptcy. I immediately filled out a check to cover the settlement's cost and mailed it by express postage. About two days later, I received a letter back from him. I thought it was him expressing gratitude for saving his orchards."

She then pulled out from her chest an open envelope, hoofing them to Twilight so she could inspect its contents. "But enclosed was none other than the check I had originally sent, and a note with one simple sentence."

Keep your check, that's Orange money.

Orange suddenly put her hooves to her face trembling. "I should have known...I should have known they wouldn't be happy for me forever...not when I left them all for this."

Twilight read the sentence over and over again, and shook her head in disbelief. "No...no Auntie. This can't possibly mean what I think you think it means. I refuse to believe that the Apples think you married for money! I know you better than that, they should know you better than that."

"Even if that's true, it doesn't change the fact that I put all my farming ways behind me. Everything that was given and taught to me from the love of my parents and siblings...has been thrown away with a single action. Generations of tradition, forsaken within a single night. When I took my husband's name, I shoved my own back in their faces. It's no wonder only mother writes to me now. An apple...just isn't a city fruit."

"But...but..." Twilight struggled to find a solid argument. "But they can't possibly dislike you just because you no longer work and think the way they do. None of them have even given your way a chance!"

"Actually...one of them did." Sherbet procured a more recent photograph, in color, of a little orange filly in a hairstyle like hers. "This is Apple Cake's daughter, and my niece, Applejack. Ten years ago, she came across all the old letters I sent to mother, telling her about my life here. She was so excited and thrilled at reading my letters, she decided she wanted to become a city pony as well.

I remember the night I opened my door to see that energetic filly at my steps, eyes full of wonder. It was like staring into a looking glass from so long ago. I vowed to do my best to groom her into best the socialite possible, that I would make her dream come true. I taught her everything I learned, gave her everything she ever wanted. I encouraged her, guided her every step with a smile, and she performed wonderfully. But...little by little, I saw her smile fade. Every time she tasted a sprig of parsley, her frown deepened. Every time she spoke in a Manehattan accent I could hear her voice strain. Every time her mane was styled, the glimmer in her eyes dulled. I tried everything I could to make her feel more comfortable. I eased away from the lessons, tried to show her all my little delights. I took her to all my favorite places, the opera house, the gardens, all the famous landmarks. I prepared personal feasts for her, and gave her all the little toys she wanted. But nothing seemed to help. Then, one night about a week after she arrived, I was retiring to my room for the evening when I chanced upon her, tying up her personal belongings in the satchel she came with. All she said to me was 'I'm going back to my farm. I'm going home'. And then she was gone. As she walked away, I could see the fillyhood of my past self stare at me disapprovingly, and vanish alongside her. Even now, I can only gaze out that window at night and wonder...what did I do wrong?"

Twilight nervously inched closer to Orange Sherbet, who was now slowly and silently sobbing to herself. Hesitantly, she reached out, retracted, then extended her hoof again and reached around her shoulder in a loose but comforting hug. "Auntie..."

They sat in silence for a time, simply collecting themselves in quiet embrace. When Sherbet finally stopped trembling, Twilight lifted her chin and spoke with the utmost sincerity. "It's not your fault. I've never met your niece, but I just know Applejack did not leave because of you."

*Snnnnnnnrk*

A snore from the baby dragon who had fallen asleep halfway through the story broke the tension like a baseball through a window. Twilight gave her eyes a half roll before looking to Sherbet again. "You should go. This is your chance to make up for being distant after so long, to reconnect and maybe start over. If nothing else, you have to at least get closure. You need to know for sure directly from them if you're nothing but a stranger to them now."

"I-" Sherbet glazed over her memorabilia one more time. "Yes. You're right. I should go. At least...at least mother will still be happy to see me. A mother always is. But, I'm still so scared. The reunion is one of the Apple's most cherished and sacrosanct traditions. How can I be sure my being there won't disgrace them in some way? I'm an Orange now. I've forgotten everything there is about being an Apple."

"Then the solution is simple! You just have to remember!" A small explosion of magical dust sent the two jumping as Trixie appeared with Octavia in tow. "The Great and Powerful Trixie sympathizes with your plight, and is more than willing to dedicate her time to solving your dilemma."

"Trixie? Octavia?"

"There's no way we're gonna let your nerves get the better you! We get enough of that from me." A tapping came from the window as Blossomforth peeked her head in. Honey Do pushed her way in next.

"I'd sooner take a nose dive into a panda-monium bamboo spike trap than let you miss out on legacy in the making."

"Blossomforth? Daring?" Twilight looked around in surprise, then made a face. "Were you all just eavesdropping on us?"

"Trixie prefers the term concerned and silent investigation."

Octavia just shook her head. "I told you we should have just walked in. She would have shared with us all the same."

"Never mind the ifs and buts. The point is, we're all going to help you unlock that little filly you think you've lost so long ago," Honey chimed.

"Yeah, it'll be like a treasure hunt! Which makes it super easy since you're already a bona-fide treasure hunter!" Blossomforth added to Honey.

"That's archeologist."

Twilight gave a light chuckle. "You see, Auntie? You may have sat out the reunion for many years by yourself, but now you have us. For better or worse, we're all going to prepare you to see the Apples again. Between the six of us, everything will work out perfectly."

Orange Sherbet seemed a bit doubtful, but a positive prospect no longer seemed impossible to read. "Do...you really think you can help me be my old self again?"

Trixie stood on her hind quarters to pose as she swiped an old bonnet from the chest and slapped it on top of Sherbet's head. "Mark Trixie's words, Auntie! Come this following Sunday, Ponyville will be dazzled and struck with awe at the long lost triumphant return of the rustic and simple Applllllleeeee Sherbet!!"